1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Internet telephone and a communicating method that realize a telephone call via the Internet.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional network that is used by so-called Internet telephone has been configured as follows.
Taking an IP telephone system using H.323 protocol as an example, a managing server (referred to as gatekeeper) is provided within an Internet telephone network. This gatekeeper has functions to receive a phone number of a destination to be called, from each telephone in a unified way, to convert the phone number into a corresponding IP address, and to return the phone number back to the called telephone.
When an operator inputs the desired phone number to be called, the number is called. When the telephone receives the IP address that corresponds to the telephone number from the gatekeeper, the telephone can access, based on the IP address, to a telephone of the desired destination to be connected via the gatekeeper, or directly access the telephone without involving the gatekeeper. Accordingly, the telephone call can be made available via the Internet (see Prior Art 1).
In addition, a router is normally involved between a gatekeeper and each telephone. A plurality of Internet telephones are connected to such a router, configuring a group in a network. Telephones within the same group have IP addresses having a common network address. In a normal corporate office setting, telephones within the same department are configured as the same group on the network.
[Related Art 1]
Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication 2002-101198 (Pages 4-5, FIG. 1)
The above described conventional art has the following problems.
Since a network used by Internet telephones require a managing server, arrangements have to be made to install such managing servers to use the Internet telephones, thereby making it complicated and expensive to configure such a network.